One by One uhc CONFERENCE 2019

Achieving UHC: A Sustainable future for africa

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 • New York, NY

On September 23, 2019, the second annual One by One: Target 2030 Conference took place following the United Nations High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage and the Climate Action Summit. The Conference, "Achieving UHC: A Sustainable Future for Africa", catalyzed conversations on how best to translate the dual calls of Africa Agenda 2063 and SDG 2030 into UHC in Africa. Its host, The Access Challenge, brought leaders from across the health, WASH, food, energy, and finance sectors to define and contextualize the meaning of UHC in Africa.

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The event was presided over by H.E. Dr. Jakaya M. Kikwete and The AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, H.E. Amira El Fadil.

PAN-AFRICAN HIGH LEVEL PLENARY

AFRICA LEADS THE WAY

The opening session featured an engaging discussion among African Ministers, parliamentarians, and global leaders on how best to leverage high-level political leadership and collaboration across various sectors to achieve Universal Access to Health in Africa. Leaders spotlighted successful integration initiatives, identified opportunities within and outside the health community, and will promote effective solutions within their countries in order to achieve a sustainable and healthy future for all.

SPEAKERS

Panel sessions:

ON driving an inclusive health agenda

CLEAN WATER ACCESS AND SANITATION

Water is life. Yet this resource is often scarce, contaminated, the source of disease transmission, or lethal in natural disasters. By not addressing water access, sanitation and infrastructure in the UHC Agenda, we risk not only continued poor health conditions for communities, but an increased health burden on women as well as individuals with physical and intellectual disability.

Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization

Jennifer Sara

Global Director of World Bank Group's Water Global Practice

Malcolm Quigley

H.E. Toyin Saraki

Founder-President, The Wellbeing Foundation

Key Quotes from the panelists

"We are always talking about new commitments. But who is holding the deliverers of these commitments accountable? Accountability needs to be and it needs to be there now more than ever, espeically in the act towards UHC."

-Angela Nguku, Founder & Executive Director, White Ribbon Alliance

"We need to make sure to better understand the link between lack of investment in infrastructure and sanitation and disease."

- Dr. Mwele Malecela, Director of NTDs, WHO

“You need a combination of participation of many different entities, and it comes down to strong political leadership and mental conviction. Set targets, around which the people can galvanize.”

MODERATOR

David Evangelista

President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia

CLEAN AIR AND HEALTH

Air pollution can lead to various respiratory diseases which cost the global economy over $255 billion each year from lost labor. This pollution is the second leading cause of NCDs worldwide affecting people's health from both indoor and outdoors sources. When sustainable energy and clean air are promoted within the UHC agenda, we can open up vast possibilities for accelerated health access for both urban and rural populations.

PANELISTS

Dr. Maria Neira

Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization

Phangisile Mtshali

Director of Programming

in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia,

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation

H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia

Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Global Ambassador, Clean Cooking Alliance

Jem Porcaro

Senior Director for Energy Access, United Nations Foundation

Sheila Oparaocha

International Coordinator and Program Manager, ENERGIA

Key Quotes from the panelists

"25% of the global burden of disease is linked to the environmental risk factors that could be modifiable, prevented. Are we committing 25% of our resources on preventing these diseases and conditions, no, we are spending less than 1%. This is irrational logic and an irrational approach."

-Dr. Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environment, and Social Determinants, WHO

"We find that are numerous actors working on the clean cooking space, but we are doing it from our own different areas. And this is one of the reasons why we haven’t made progress, our efforts are not aligned, we are not optimizing them, and we are competing with each other."

-Sheila Oparaocha, International Coordinator and Program Manager, ENERGIA

MODERATOR

Michael Igoe

Senior Reporter, DEVEX

"Time poverty affects productivity of women and girls. They spend hours trying to collect firewood, cooking with stoves that are inefficient- meaning they are spending 3-4 hours a day on a single meal- and these are productive hours she could be using to empower herself."

-H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana

NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE, AND HEALTH

The nutrients available in food sets a foundation for the growth and health of all. Insufficient diet poor nutrition and lack of breastfeeding contribute to child mortality and increased susceptibility to disease.

Praava Health

Dr. Sarbani Chakraborty

Senior Health Systems Strategy Leader

Lead, Health Systems Capacity at Global Access

Dr. Vanessa Kerry

Co-Founder and CEO,

Seed Global Health

Key Quotes from the panelists

“We face a fundamental funding gap to catch up from investments that we could have been and should have been making for a long time.”

-Dr. Vanessa Kerry, Founder, Seed Global Health

“Unless we get the commitment to agree that primary health care is a foundation for any national health system, we won’t make enough progress.”

-Pape Gaye, President & CEO, IntraHealth International

To advance UHC by 2030, we need to: “Be customer focused and listen to people in communities and work backwards.”

-Dr. Sarbani Chakraborty, Lead, Health Systems Capacity, Roche

MODERATOR

Ken Gustavsen

Chief of Staff and Strategy Officer

Social Business Innovation Merck

RESPONSIVE AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES & PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

Vulnerable communities are the first to face the negative effects of environmental changes. As local touchpoints, community members may provide crucial services by alerting authorities to impending natural disasters and epidemics.